History Teacher Joseph Emmett to Join Major London March Against Far-Right Threat
Joseph Emmett, a 49-year-old history teacher and National Education Union representative from the Welsh borders, will board a bus this weekend to travel to London. He is participating in what organisers describe as potentially the largest demonstration against the far-right that Britain has ever witnessed. His motivation stems directly from the lessons he imparts to his secondary school students. "When I teach about Hitler and the Nazis, children always ask, 'how did it happen?'" Emmett explains. "And the answer is, 'because he wasn't stopped.'"
Together Alliance Organises National Demonstration for Unity
This Saturday, the Together Alliance will stage a significant national demonstration in London, with the primary aim of standing up for unity and raising public awareness about the escalating threat posed by the far-right in the United Kingdom. The alliance comprises a diverse coalition of trade unionists, environmentalists, community activists, faith leaders, musicians, athletes, entertainers, MPs, and councillors. It has garnered support from a growing list of well-known figures, including Paloma Faith, Paul Weller, Lenny Henry, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Christopher Eccleston, Charlotte Church, Steve Coogan, Juliet Stevenson, actor David Harewood, former footballer Shaka Hislop, and singer Beverley Knight.
In a statement, Lenny Henry emphasised, "We stand for love over hate, hope over fear and unity over division. We're coming together against racism, join us and be a part of it." Paloma Faith added, "There is no world that I want to live in where discrimination is acceptable for anything. No race, gender or class is superior to any other...this is why racism makes my blood boil."
Over 500 Organisations Back the Event
More than 500 supporting organisations are involved, such as the Trades Union Congress, Friends of the Earth, Show Racism the Red Card, UNISON, Unite the Union, Love Music Hate Racism, Stand Up to Racism, HOPE not Hate, Stop the War, Fire Brigades Union, and the Muslim Council of Britain. Organisers highlight that the demonstration is partly a response to the scale of far-right protests over the past year. Instead of being forced into 'counter-demonstrations,' they aim to host a positive event that reflects Britain's true character.
Police estimated that between 110,000 and 150,000 people attended the so-called 'Unite the Kingdom' rally in central London in September, where figures like Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk addressed the crowd. Organisers warn, "For the first time the Far Right are driving politics at a national level, and Far Right protests on our streets are mobilising the biggest numbers they ever have. Their false promises seize on the very real economic problems people face, in order to scapegoat migrants, Muslims, and refugees. But we know we can change things when we stand together."
Participants from Across the UK Share Their Stories
Charity worker Bilal Hussain, 32, is travelling to London on one of many coaches chartered from Nottingham. As deputy director of Himmah, he notes, "Decades ago, there was a spate of hate crime, including an incident where a Muslim woman had her hijab pulled off. There was a huge effort to make the city safer, but since the pandemic we have seen a massive increase in Far Right rhetoric and a sharp increase in hate crimes in Nottingham. It's gone up particularly in the city centre. Black and brown people are being targeted. With the onset of social media, hate is being internationalised and spread."
Hussain adds, "I'll be on the march because it's not about doing it alone, it's about building in partnership, showing solidarity. In Nottingham, we've poured such time and care into working with friends and neighbours across the city to build an open, tolerant place that brings out the best of us. We don't want the good work undone."
Law student Funton Ajijola, 20, a member of Amnesty's Student Action Network Committee, is travelling from Reading. She states, "When you're on social media you see a lot of Far Right content being published, being pushed. I'm compelled to go to the march because I want to make it clear that 'I'm here too.' We're live here – and we can't let people push a different narrative and pretend that we don't exist. They spread misinformation and then this leaks into politics. Why should I sit there and let people do that? The march is a way to show we are a community and that we're not going to allow people to be divided and demonised."
Londoners Defend Their Multicultural City
In addition to attendees from across the UK, Londoners view the march as a defence of their city, which has faced sustained attacks from the far-right on social media due to its proud multicultural identity and the Muslim religion of its popular mayor, Sadiq Khan. Dom Eagleton, a 54-year-old charity worker, will perform at the demonstration with his London-based Swing Dance group. He explains, "One of the reasons I'm taking part is as a response to the awful march in September which was led by Tommy Robinson – whose mum is an Irish migrant. This is a great opportunity to respond and show we are bigger and better than them in every sense of the word."
Eagleton continues, "Swing Dance came from oppression, segregation and racism in America. Imagine a UK without the influence of black culture? That's what the Far Right want, calling for ICE-style agents. We love our diversity, our culture, our city and we'll be making that clear. It doesn't matter about your faith, skin colour – it's a joy to dance and a joy to watch and we want to bring some of that to the day. For many people it will be their first time attending an event like this. It's a family-friendly celebration of everything that's great about this country. Some of my family will be there, including my 83-year-old step-dad."
Londoner Fargol Ayan, 25, an events organiser originally from Iran, will also attend with the Swing Dance group. She says, "We have to show up for one another, to show what kind of society we are. I want to be part of that collective voice. To show that the Far Right narrative is not the one – to show that when we come together in person it is beautiful. I live in London – a brilliant example of a multicultural community. We all come from everywhere, we share our culture, our food, our ideas and that is our strength."
Final Thoughts from Wales
Back in Wales, history teacher Joseph Emmett is preparing for his journey to London. He reflects, "The Oxford English Dictionary word of the year last year was 'ragebait' and the algorithms are there to monetise it. We have to push back. We are taking back the narrative, being honest about who we are and the kind of country we are. Celebrate our diversity – our strength. If we keep attacking each other we know where it leads, we've seen the pattern. We have to stand together in solidarity."
